The Kitāb al-waṣiyya of ʿĪsā b. al-Mustafād: The History of a Text

Abstract

From the early days of Shī‘ī thought on the issue of the Imāmate, there have been writings on the subject often bearing the title of Kitāb al-imāma,2 alongside writings on the concept of the sacred bequest, bearing titles such as Kitāb al-waṣiyya or Kitāb al-awsiyā’ (“Book of the heirs”, i.e., the Imāms). Waṣiyya is an old Shī‘ī concept, broader than the evolutionary notions of Imāmate and Caliphate, but gradually becoming synonymous with the Imāmate and the doctrine of investiture (nass). These concepts originate in the belief that the Prophet had designated ‘Alī as his “heir” for a variety of tasks. The concept, then, simultaneously encompassed the responsibility of the Prophet in the naming of his heir, the status of ‘Alī as the object of this nomination, and the question of the succession of the Prophet and the sacred heritage of the prophecy.